Hello, I'm new here

Re: Hello, I'm new here

feeds@kickapps.com (melissa1208) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 22:00:44 PST

So I've been back from my trip for a while now -- my flights went well once again.

Also, my boyfriend proposed after he picked me up from the airport!

Re: Hello, I'm new here

feeds@kickapps.com (melissa1208) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 05:24:14 PST

Thanks Tom.

Re: Hello, I'm new here

feeds@kickapps.com (Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:28:16 PST

The RJ145 is a commuter jet. This is a full fledged airliner with all the bells and whistles. Seating is one one side of the aisle and two on the other. It has a good ride in bumpy air.

The chat is at 9 PM until 11 PM Eastern at www.fearofflying.com/chat.shtml/

Re: Hello, I'm new here

feeds@kickapps.com (melissa1208) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:52:36 PST

Also I'm wondering what you all can tell me about the airline I'm using and the type of plane I'll be flying on -- the airline is American Eagle and the type of plane is an Embraer RJ145 Amazon. This will be the same airline and type of plane I flew with before.

Another question I have is when time are the Wednesday night chats? I am not home until 9ish on Wednesdays but could chat after then if they are still going on.

Re: Hello, I'm new here

feeds@kickapps.com (melissa1208) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:48:24 PST

Hello again and thank you all for the replies; I appreciate them. Sorry for my delay in response; I forgot about this place until recently (AKA when I heard about the recent plane crash on the news).

My flights in November went well. The first flight was on a sunny and clear day and was great for me because I at least didn't have to worry about weather issues. The second flight was not as good because of snow/freezing rain, delays, and being at night. I had a great flight attendent on that flight, though, who went above and beyond to help me. I also had taken some Valium which helped as well. The flight itself wasn't bad at all, but waiting to take off and taking off weren't pleasant.

I'm not nervous about the airports anymore now that I am familiar with them.

I've learned that I do well once we are in the air and the flight attendant starts moving around. I keep an eye on him or her and if they aren't nervous then I'm fine,...

Re: Hello, I'm new here

feeds@kickapps.com (Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:44:38 PST

If may also help if you join us on the Wednesday night chat. Usually, Roger is there. Roger was agoraphobic and housebound as an adult, and did not fly for thirty-one years. Now he has over fifty flights. Chatting with him, I believe, will give you some important support that resonates with your challenge. Also, until recently, we have the videos in the FastTrackprogram available for download through another company under the name Rapid Relief. To standardize things, we discontinued the name FastTrack -- since they are the same video courses -- and use Rapid Relief for both the streaming video course at If may also help if you join us on the Wednesday night chat. Usually, Roger is there. Roger was agoraphobic and housebound as an adult, and did not fly for thirty-one years. Now he has over fifty flights. Chatting with him, I believe, will give you some important support that resonates with your challenge. The videos in the FastTrackprogram are available for download through another...

Re: Hello, I'm new here

feeds@kickapps.com (Portastorm) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:12:53 PST

Melissa,

First of all welcome to SOAR!! You're at a great forum where you can find some excellent information and help. Many of us are just like you. We were/are paralyzed by a fear of flying. For me, it began on my honeymoon flight and plagued me for 17 years. I missed important family events, work trips, and social opportunities all because I was absolutely terrified to step onto an airplane. In those 17 years, I made several flights only because I doped myself up enough on Xanax with an amount that would put a horse to sleep! Yeah, it worked to a degree but it made me worthless for the...

Re: Hello, I'm new here

feeds@kickapps.com (melissa1208) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:54:18 PST

If anxiety is the worst problem I have during my flights I will be quite thankful.

Re: Hello, I'm new here

feeds@kickapps.com (Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:50:04 PST

Anxiety arises when we reach the limit of our ability to regulate affect internally. Since our internal ability is not easily increased, we turn outward for relief, through control of the situation. If control is insufficient, we seek escape from the situation, or from awareness of the situation.

Anxious fliers complain of "feeling out of control" on the plane. They have neither internal nor external means to regulate affect. Sensations of flight are so intrusive, particularly during takeoff and in turbulence, that strategies to escape awareness can fail even when aided by drugs and alcohol. Anticipating failure to control affect, some choose physically risker - but emotionally safer - transportation.

There is another reason why flying causes profound failure of affect regulation. The earth, like Linus's security blanket, is a Transitional Object. Representational Objects which cannot stand unaided are buttressed by the concreteness of the...

Hello, I'm new here

feeds@kickapps.com (melissa1208) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:17:04 PST

Hi my name is Melissa, and in November I am flying for the first time since 1999. It will be my first time flying alone. I am really nervous about several aspects of this trip because I am a (slowly recovering) agoraphobic. I was diagnosed with agoraphobia in 2000, when I was still in high school. I had been put on homebound schooling for a while during high school because I was not leaving my house. I did eventually get back into regular school and I started working. In 2003, I was in a bad car crash, was injured, and was wheelchair bound for a while. After I was walking again, I drove for a while, but by 2004 I was not driving at all and became housebound again because I experienced anxiety over even being in a car, much less driving one. My doctors thought that I had post traumatic stress. I started going to therapy in 2005, and my therapist helped me with systematic desensitization. I am now driving again, going to school at a local university, and interning with a program...